Equipping Educators for Lasting Impact

ECE Ambassadors and Milwaukee Succeeds staff marched in support of ECE during the Week of the Young Child.

Milwaukee Succeeds is ensuring that the city’s early educators have everything they need to thrive – not just in their classrooms but as leaders in their communities. In 2024, this support came in the form of trainings, which focused on two critical areas: equipping educators with the tools to improve their well-being and empowering them to act as advocates for lasting change.

Mental Health & Well-being

This journey began in late 2023 with the launch of a mental health curriculum designed specifically for Spanish-speaking providers. Created by three members of our Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coalition, the series explored critical topics such as self-care, co-regulation and emotional resilience. The 22 participants left with much-needed strategies to manage their own mental health and build a nurturing environment for the kids in their care.

The clear success of this program set the stage for Phase 2: a train-the-trainer model. Launched in early 2024, the series aimed to expand the reach and impact of the mental health curriculum. Six exceptional educators from the original cohort were selected to become trainers themselves, learning both facilitation techniques and leadership skills.

These aspiring trainers refined their skills by leading sessions for 29 additional educators – and the results were clear. 96% of their trainees reported an increase in knowledge, while 92% agreed that they could use what they’d learned in their child care settings.

Strengthening the Sector

These trainings are doing more than just offering immediate tools – they’re laying the groundwork for a stronger ECE sector.

“Fostering resilience and self-esteem from a young age can profoundly shape a person’s future. The well-being of children lays the foundation for a full and prosperous life,” explained Ivonne, one of the new trainers. “On a personal level, this content reinforced and showed more strategies to address my own sensory needs.”

Along the way, these six trainers – plus three of our ECE Ambassadors – received their Wisconsin Registry certification. Not only does this significantly increase the number of Spanish-speaking trainers, but it also paves the way for more culturally relevant and bilingual continuing education courses.

This fall, Milwaukee Succeeds facilitated a continuation of these trainings, with a new four-part series designed to help participants develop technical skills and receive one-on-one support in preparation for training others.

Advocacy & Action

While supporting educator well-being is essential, we also know that real change requires advocacy. That’s why, in September, Milwaukee Succeeds launched the ECE Advocacy Training Series. This six-part program empowers educators and community members to advocate for the policy changes needed to improve the larger ECE system.

Led by our ECE Ambassadors, the series teaches participants how to share their stories, engage with decision-makers and push for increased funding, while also providing free continuing education hours. With each session, attendees are gaining the tools to make their voices heard – a critical skill as the next state budget cycle approaches.

“We want people to know that there’s many ways to support this fight and advocate for change,” said Ambassador and trainer Diana Rico.

“Advocacy trainings support the field by educating and empowering participants,” shared Ashley Harrell, a key member of the ECE Advocacy Workgroup. “Participants leave with a better understanding of what it means to be an advocate and walk away better equipped with the advocacy tools needed to be impactful within the ECE sector.”